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You can make these elegant Banana Crepes in about 35 minutes using a simple batter and method that caramelizes the banana slices right into the crepes as they cook.
Most recipes for Banana Crepes are just a standard crepe with cold banana slices rolled inside, which always feels like a missed opportunity. By arranging the banana slices directly on the wet batter in the crepe pan or skillet, they caramelize in the hot butter and cook into the crepe.
I first tried a version of these from Chef Ed Kenney. His original recipe is a cross between a traditional pancake and a thin crepe, served with whipped, lightly sweetened crème fraîche. I began with his recipe, but prefer to make a smaller batch so I cut the proportions down to serve four. I also reduced the sugar in the topping by half so it doesn’t compete too much with the natural sweetness of the seared bananas and the tang of the Pineapple Marmalade (also his recipe, but I reduced the sugar by half there too.) The marmalade is optional. If you’d like to skip that step, crushed pineapple stands in nicely.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Skill level: Intermediate
Ingredients for Banana Crepes
- Ripe Bananas: You want bananas that are ripe, but not “banana bread ripe”. They should be deep yellow with a few brown spots: soft enough to caramelize quickly but firm enough to hold their shape when sliced thin.
- Crème Fraîche: This French cultured cream really makes these crepes feel fancy, but full-fat sour cream is a great substitute.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk; the extra fat gives you a very tender crepe.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level in the batter, but honestly, I use whatever butter I have on hand.
- Natural Cane Sugar: You’ll need regular white sugar for the topping and the optional marmalade.
- Pineapple Marmalade (Optional): If you are making the marmalade, choose a fresh, ripe pineapple. Canned fruit won’t give you the same bright, tropical result. I also recommend a thin skinned Meyer lemon, it’s a bit sweeter and more fragrant than a standard lemon.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking bananas into the batter caramelizes them and deepens their flavor.
- Slightly thicker batter: You’ll notice that this recipe has a touch higher flour to liquid ratio than my standard Breakfast Crepe recipe. It creates a texture between crepe and pancake that’s sturdy enough to hold the caramelized bananas when folded.
- Mixing the batter by hand just until smooth means you do not overwork the gluten, so the crepes stay light.
How to Make Banana Crepes
Make the marmalade (Optional): Bring the chopped pineapple, lemon slices, sugar, and a half-cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer until the fruit is translucent and the mixture has thickened, 35 to 45 minutes.
Whisk the topping: Whisk the crème fraîche and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined.
Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, egg, milk, and melted butter with a half-cup of water until most of the lumps disappear.
Cook the crepes: Melt a little butter in a hot skillet or crepe pan and scoop in enough batter to create a thin layer, swirling the pan immediately to coat the bottom. Quickly arrange the banana slices directly onto the wet batter before it sets.
Sear and flip, then fold and keep warm: Cook for about two minutes until the bottom of the crepe is golden, then carefully flip the crepe to caramelize the bananas for another minute. Lift the edge with a spatula and fold the crepe into quarters. Transfer it to a baking sheet in a low oven to keep warm while you make the rest. Serve topped with sweetened crème fraîche and either pineapple marmalade, chopped fresh pineapple or canned crushed pineapple (drained).
Pro Tips
- Slice the bananas thin so they don’t make the crepe too heavy to flip or cause it to tear.
- Watch the heat closely and turn it down if the butter starts to smoke or the first crepe browns too fast.
- Use a thin offset spatula to get under the edge of the crepe; if the banana slices feel stuck, give them another 30 seconds to caramelize and release from the pan.
- Shortcut Option: Swap in crushed pineapple if you are in a rush or just don’t want to make the marmalade, drain some crushed pineapple to serve with the crepes instead.
How to Store
These are best served as soon as you make them, while the bananas are warm and the edges are crisp. If you have leftover batter, you can keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Give it a quick whisk before using.
More Crepe REcipes to Love
Banana Crepes
Ingredients
Whipped Crème Fraîche
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche or full-fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons natural cane sugar
Pancake Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120g
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 ripe bananas peeled, sliced into thin rounds
Pineapple Marmalade (optional)
- 1/2 Meyer lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 3 cups finely chopped pineapple about 1 medium pineapple
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
Whipped Crème Fraîche
- Whisk the crème fraîche and sugar in a medium bowl until thick, 2 minutes or so.
To make the Banana Pancakes:
- Preheat oven to 200°F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, egg, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1/2 cup water just until smooth.
- Heat crepe pan or medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and swirl pan to coat. Scoop 1/4 cup batter into pan and gently swirl to create a thin layer; arrange several banana slices on top.
- Cook pancake for about 2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown and top looks nearly dry. Watch the level of heat and reduce it if the pancake starts to burn.
- Carefully flip the pancake and cook until it sets and bananas turn golden brown, about 1 minute more. Lift edge with a spatula and fold in half, then lift from edge to fold into quarters. Transfer pancake to a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Place in the preheated oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes.
- Repeat process, transferring finished pancakes to the oven as you work.
To make the Pineapple Marmalade (optional):
- In a medium saucepan, bring lemon slices, pineapple, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until pineapple and lemon are soft and translucent. Let cool and then transfer to a pint jar. Refrigerate. (You can make the marmalade up to 2 weeks in advance.)
Notes
- Note that preparation time does not include the optional Pineapple Marmalade which can be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
